Emmanuel Rey, the CEO and Founder of Yuni, and his Co-Founder, Suzanne Dawson, are certified Ashtanga Yoga teachers based in California. Both having met while working for Aveda, the pair decided to take leave from the cooperate world and travel across the globe for a year.

After deciding to settle down in California and become Ashtanga certified, they put their cosmetic knowledge to work and created Yuni. Testing out products on other yogis, the pair got the input that helped moved their brand forward.

“Time is precious,” said Rey, as one of the three keys factors that went into making their products. People want products that will save them time instead of having several steps to use it. Yuni’s products should also improve performance as well as help recuperate faster. Finally, their testers wanted a product that would help relieve stress.

Rey also put emphasis that Yuni’s products should be “natural, affordable, portable and effective.”

After launching in December 2016, Yuni gained most of its business from their company website. From there, the company expanded to larger retailers. In February 2017, Yuni launched at Dillard’s, Urban Outfitters in May and Core Power Yoga in June.

However, Yuni’s launch with Sephora was the real change that helped the company get out into the public. Rey said that “[Sephora had an] impact on how they directed us. The sheer amount of value and exposure to the brand.”

Sephora pushed for Yuni to rebrand and in January 2017, the company rolled out a new design. “We wanted something distinctive and natural” said Rey. Yuni’s illustrations were created by another former Aveda employee who worked as an illustrator.

Come August, Yuni plans to release three new products: Count to Zen, a hand and body moisturizer; My OM World, a body mist; and Glow with the Flow, a crème. With this expansion, Yuni wants to be a brand not only for yogis, but for all fitness people, reinforcing the body aspect of the product.